Urdur
' Urdur '(UR-der) Adjectival form: Duran (DU-ran) Plural noun for inhabitants: Duran Singular noun for inhabitants: Duran The lands of the Dwarves. General Information *'Capital:' Karandelf *'Population Density: '''Moderate *'Government: Monarchy *'Predominant Faiths: '''Aelfdan, Deros, Ulfban, Ecthgar, Belaius, Weselayn *'Imports: Wool, Grains, Fruit, Tabacco, Cloth, Cheese, Ale, Vegetables, Wine, Sugar *'Exports:' Stone, Iron, Gems, Horses/Ponies, Gold, Silver, Copper, Timber, Weapons, Armor Overview & Boundaries Urdur is a land of tradition and pride. Its people are renowned warriors, crafters, builders, and historians with a culture and history rich and deep. Urdur was once the strongest nation of the south and while hard years have tested its people to its utmost limits, Urdur has survived and ultimately persevered against all odds. The lands are Urdur are largely rugged and mountainous though the forested valley lands inbetween where the mountains meet is fertile beyond imagination. The Northern border extends past the the WIndras Mountains and Windras Peaks to reach the hilly shores of southern Berthfast Bay. To the south, her borders reach over the Durgadan Moutains following the Khardum River for the eastern border to the south sea. The Western most borders end where the Windras and Durgadan Mountains meet at the Windras Peaks while the Eastern border extends 2/3's the length of the River Run History The dwarves of Urdur is the history of one of the oldest and most successful peoples in the world. Once, there was a time the size of Urdur was so vast as to run nearly from sea to sea east to west and south, creating one of the greatest empires ever. While not the vast empire it once was, Urdur is still one of the greatest powers of the south with a voice that turns the heads of all. 'One of the First' Urdur is a place of history, shaped by the earth that its people live on, work in and cultivate in a way no other people has. One of the earliest of races, the first dwarves were placed in the world by Aelfdan when he sought to make the world more in an image of his own heart. It was thus that the dwarves were, are, and always have been the image of their fore-father. It was from these first dwarves, the first of Aelfdan’s fellow deities sprang. Ulfban the warrior, Deros the craftsman and Ecthgar the wanderer. Although a few current clerics argue that Ulfban is either another aspect of Aelfdan or his actual brother, the truth of the matter is he was simply the first of the dwarves and was taken into godhood by Aelfdan himself for his deeds in establishing dwarven culture in a way that much pleased Aelfdan’s purpose and image. Soon after, Deros, the first craftsman followed for his good deeds of sharing the will of Aelfdan and teaching the dwarves the crafts loved by their father. Ecthgar would come soon after, but is more of a patron of the dwarves of Yargald who are an off-shoot from Aelfdan’s original clans. 'The Blessed Years of Peace' It was Aelfdan’s greatest of joys when his people met and befriended the guardians of the earth, the maligaroc, who further traded knowledge and wisdom of the earth and the crafting of beautiful things. The dwarves, surrounded by mutual friends to the north and no rivals to the west or south, cultivated and grew to a vast and truly mighty empire; perhaps the greatest the world has known. In these days the elves of Tepliri mingled freely with the dwarves in a respectful if slightly distant manner and the flatter lands of Yargald were still a part of Urdur and would be for some time yet. Aelfdan’s people prospered largely due to the friendships and nature of their deity as he was friends and allies with Weselayn and the lord of the gnomes, Helflin. In the end, the start of the decline of the dwarves was wrought through a mixture of jealousy and outside pressures. 'The Darkening of Days' The first of the troubles began ages ago when several of gods became wroth with one another, starting with unintentional slight Helflin gave to Cathixis; the god of the gnomes and kobolds respectfully. Rising from the insult came the expected challenge from Jalinithax, the mate of Cathixis. In the resulting duel, Helflin emerged victorious, but Jalinithax claimed it was only through trickery and Cathixis was most wroth at the demeaning defeat on her behalf. Unable to challenge the laws of the duel directly, she chose to try and make a more direct approach to demonstrate her ire anyway. Initially, this did not affect the mortal world, but the ramifications would trickle down over the years as Aelfdan and his house rose in support of their allies. While in his absence, Aelfdan beseeched the maligaroc to continue their tutelage and assistance to his people to which they gladly and graciously accepted. The decision would spark the change in Urdur that would lead to its present state as other deities took the opportunity to begin making their own moves - leading to the eventual shaping and re-shaping of the south. During the time that Aelfdan was away supporting Helflin, several of the dwarves began to turn to the maligaroc more and more for guidance in the absence of their own deities. In some cases, this gradually began to change from mere adulation and gratitude to a change in worship. The maligaroc saw nothing wrong with what they saw as simple hero worship and continued on without discouraging the change in moods. When Aelfdan returned and found his house in the hands of those he had entrusted it with, he became wroth and angry; ignoring the fact that the guardians were willingly handing back control and actively trying to correct what they now realized was an error in judgment as they were now nearing a godlike status from their new followers. Aelfdan would not hear of it, and so pursued a war against the maligarocs and all that would follow them; killing many including elves who had sought refuge in a more stable Urdur, fleeing the troubles of their own lands as the war between the gods began echoing in the mortal world as well. It was Aelfdan’s act of rage that changed the once generally good relations between elf and dwarf into the general respectful coolness present for many years. When it became clear that their god’s anger knew nearly no bounds, the remaining followers - some of which were bewildered clergy of Aelfdan - took to the hatcheries of the maligaroc and took all the eggs and followers with them into exile under the ground where they would not be heard from again for sometime. In the end, it took the near extinction of the guardians of the earth and intervention from his allies before Aelfdan’s anger was quenched and many clergy in the upper echelons of the church guard the secret truth of the matter to this day as far as they might. 'The Red Years of War' The effects of the conflict between the gods ended when Cathixis's uprising was temporarily quelled, however Cathixis was always a spiteful goddess. Realizing she was too outnumbered by her fellow deities to address them directly, she decided to make her wrath felt in a more indirect manner as she set her dragonkin and kobolds to attacking Helflin's gnomes in a 'holy war of vengeance'. Urdur had no time to really take stock of what had happened as the mortal world seemed to suddenly erupt into war as other deities began to see in Cathixis's reasoning another way to solve their own issues. To the north, their allies and friends in Burglig were being slaughtered by their once genial neighbors in Gar. The strife between Cathixis and Helflin spread to its people as the more numerous and fanatical people of Kutarg launched brutal invasions into neighboring Gibling to the north. To the east, the most bizarre of happenings amongst the gods occurred and perhaps one of the worst. The gnolls of Xanyahou abandoned their mother, Nylashnee for the brutal and corrupted Jerithul with Nylashnee herself not so much as raising a finger to answer. The followers of Jerithul swept southward and westward, conqueroring and enslaving everyone they met. The elves of Tepliri were the hardest hit, losing much of their ancestral lands around Avarana Lake. The then barony of Yargald on the eastern most edges of Urdur became embroiled by this pressure as well, losing large tracts of land before being able to marshall enough forces to blunt the attack. To the further consternation of Urdur and Tepliri, Harkas and Finturi seemed content to abstain from the conflict. The might of Urdur was tested sorely for many years as the dwarves fought and died in foreign lands to maintain borders and keep their allies safe from harm. Without the dwarves of Urdur, Burglig, Gibling and even Tepliri might not today exist - a truth most dwarves inwardly haven’t forgotten but only humbly acknowledge outwardly. Through the efforts of Urdur and the other powers of the south, the tides of conquest were stemmed and seemed to be grinding to stagnation. Just when things seemed like they might return to a measure of balance, however, the dwarves would find new problems and begin facing new enemies that would threaten them directly. 'What Wrath Wrought' For years since the self-imposed exile of the priests and dwarves who sought to prevent their lord from making a grievous mistake, the followers of the maligaroc would venture back to the land of the sun forced now to steal the materials they needed in order to survive in their exile. Gradually, over the course of many years, these simple raids that were easy to quash and control at first suddenly became an all out invasion of the holdfasts on the western range. These now nearly forgotten brothers and sisters along with the drow who were for so long condemned to fighting with stones and crude materials to make their poor existence, were appearing in new and organized numbers and wearing weapons and armor of similar quality to the dwarves. The sudden brutality, unexpectedness, and savagery of the attacks caught Urdur completely off guard, costing Urdur large swaths of once controlled western lands in the WIndras Peaks including several ancient and prominent cities. The dwarves were suddenly faced with a serious problem as they now desperately needed to move soldiers from their border stations and from other countries to stem the tide of the advance by the new power rising in the west which called themselves Mykloth. This left only token support in lands such as Burglig and Gibling which sorely depended on Urdur’s military might to preserve their lands. This also all but cut the barony of Yargald from all support from their mother country. The barons of Yargald would acquit themselves well during this time and it was at this time many other powers began to view them as a separate entity. 'The Vartian Invasion' Just as the Myklothian advance seemed like it had stopped, a yet newer foe appeared on the shores to the south. Human warriors, never before seen from across the sea, appeared in great armada’s, landing thousands upon thousands of hostile troops possessed of their own self- magnificence. Urdur summoned what numbers they could spare to meet the new invaders at their primary landing point in the south of Urdurian territory. The ensuing battle, which later became known as the 1st Battle of Primection ended in one of the most humiliating defeats the people of Urdur had ever been dealt, and it was a costly defeat. The battle in most history books of the south refer to it as the ‘Pig Pens of Primection’. The defeat cost Urdur nearly a thousand warriors, some of who were veterans from other fronts while the invaders suffered nearly no casualties at all. It also completely opened the south up to the advance of the newcomers. Unable to mount a true counterattack, the some 450 survivors of Primection - led by Tybald Carnellan, a squire who took over after his lord's death at Primection - were forced to taste one grueling defeat after another as they struggled against the odds to stall a far superior force. The elves of Tepliri, embattled for existence as they were with Xanyahou, hardly even bothered to mount a resistance. The once mighty nation of Urdur was now embattled for its own existence and tasked with preserving the south from the enemies of more ‘civilized’ cultures of the south as they faced enemies now on five different fronts. 'The Cost of Survival' It soon became clear that something drastic needed to be done. Urdur pulled its remaining defenders in the south to their holdfasts in the Durgadan Mountains which they had be struggling to fortify for the coming Vartian onslaught. However, the cost was the loss of Tybald Carnellan and his by then 250 remaining dwarves as they baited the Vartian main host into one last final battle so that the holdfasts could be properly manned. The one time squire tasted his last defeat as his remnant force was overrun at the mountain pass townhold of Turin. Tybald and ten men fled the battle after holding the pass long enough for the southern forces to reach the holdfasts in the Durgadan border. Five of the survivors, including the squire, later died of their wounds upon reaching the holdfasts. When he was told the news that he had held long enough, it is said the squire's final words were, "So our last defeat was our first victory then. I will tell my lord that the taste was bittersweet." That done and the south secure, it was decided that if Urdur was to survive it needed the rest of their allies in the south to survive as well. So it was that the generals of Urdur decided that Xanyahou must first be cowed so that the elves could aid in stopping the advances of the new human invaders. The leaders of Urdur, barons of Yargald, and lords of Tepliri met with humans from Ebland had yet to take an official stance militarily, the confederacy of Harkas and the chiefs of Finturi’s tribes to convince them that if they were all going to leave in peace ever again, Xanyahou had to be put down. So it was that all but Harkas entered into alliance and began to martial forces to fight Xanyahou. When their intent became evident, followers of Nylashnee, the true principal god of the gnolls, approached the allied armies and then joined their ranks as well. It was at this point, finally, that Harkas felt obligated to pledge its forces to the fight. After a few years of trying to corner the followers of Jerithul, Urdur and its allies cornered the bulk of the cult’s army in Gan Youyesh. The resulting siege and assault lasted an entire year with the deaths of over a 100,000 souls on both sides, but spelled the end of Xanyahou’s empire. With Jerithul’s followers scattered and defeated, the dwarves turned their attentions to further securing their southern border while contemplating the north. However, it proved to simply be a matter of time before things settled. The post war era was shaped at a meeting between several countries in Waymeet, a city in Eblund which was considered to be the safest; most neutral site. In the agreements doctored there, the modern border began to take shape. Tepliri was allowed to take and keep any lands they successfully could from Xanyahou, which would soon allow them to become the large empire it is today. Urdur, realizing that they could no longer hope to hold as much territory as they once did, gave up much of their territory to the gnomes of Gibling as a gift so that they could more easily move goods and resources from around the Avarana area. This would also give Urdur a large buffer state between them and the rest of the east which would allow them to better deal with problems in the south. Urdur also saw it fit to grant Yargald its own lands and it was agreed in the council that they should take the lands in the Emerald Hills to the west of Eblund and north of Tepliri so that dwarves would also be able to take part of governing any further expansion from Xanyahou. In the end, the followers of Nylashnee agreed to and suggested many of the concessions - willingly giving up all that had been taken and more. They also willing agreed that Harkas be responsible for maintaining the region to make sure their personal problems not escalate too far out of hand again. As tensions eased in the north, Urdur finally turned south and pushed Vartia from Primection, but would not succeed in regaining any further lands from the invaders past the River Khardum. Once the town of Turin was liberated, a statue of Tybald's last stand was erected to honor the sacrifice of the survivors of Primection as they fought a losing war of sadness and sacrifice for several years to save their people; the names of all the warriors who died are emblazoned on the bottom. 'The Past to the Present' In time, the dwarves sent an expedition to Smeltgar Wastes to try and create a new colony there to aid Burglig better in the future. The colony, founded and led by the heroes Halfgan Ferromar and Hausken Feldspar, prospered for a time before falling to turbulent politics in the north. In more recent times, Urdur was responsible also in helping to put down the heretic Gideon and his uprising as well as the near subjugation of Gibling by an aggressive demonlord who had sought to take the land and a seat amongst the deities himself. Now days Urdur has resumed its seat as one of the major centers of culture in the south and has the grudging respect or friendship of nearly all of its neighbors excluding Mykloth which has sworn blood against Urdur. These actions, however, are minor and hardly constant. Urdur prospers with a vigor it had so long ago, creating some of the finest finished goods anywhere in the world and possessing a cultural pride that is rich and well deserved. Religion Being a people steeped in tradition and ideas of honor and past glory, religion is important to the dwarves of Urdur. It tells them who they are and reminds them where they came from. In Urdur, Aelfdan is the most prominent and worshipped deity. Even those dwarves who hold a different patron often still honor Aelfdan for his role as the creator of all dwarves. In many respects, Aelfdan personifies to many dwarves in Urdur what it should mean to be dwarven. As such, the majority of Thanes venerate Aelfdan over the other deities. Ulfban is typcially honored by the warriors of the culture while Deros is typically honored by the merchant class and elite craftsmen. Ecthgar is less worshipped in Urdur than he is in Yargald but finds his share of shrines above ground where the farmers and breeders pay him homage. Though its not unheard of for the King of Karandelf to worship one of the other deities, the vast majority openly venerate Aelfdan and Aelfdan's church carries a lot of weight in Udur. Life & Society Urdur is a land blessed with a plethora of raw materials and goods. These along with Urdur's master craftsmanship and since of tradition and pride in one's work keeps the country wealthy. The people of Urdur are a proud people who have endured much for the sake of preserving culture and society in the southern lands. Some would think that this would make them snobbish but instead the majority of Urdur's citizens see doing right by their neighbors and allies as nothing more the right thing. Many weep for the fact that they could not do better than they were able during those trying years. Urdur's people are strong and hearty people with a strong sense of discipline and community. The teachings of their god Aelfdan have been continued on through the ages and most dwarven households continue to share their legacy to their children religiously. Even most of the nobility adheres to the ideals of honor, personification of the will of their gods, discipline and community not all, naturally. The idea of a village raises the children is practiced very heavily in Urdur and dwarven Thanes spend much of their time touring the various parts of their lands to ensure their people are cared for. Honor amongst the nobility is highly important. If fellow Thanes think or believe that one of their own is failing to properly care for their people or uphold the traditions, the offender may find himself brought before the king, high priest of Aelfdan, and the Council of Thanes. Such Thanes risk having their title stripped and handed to another family member. Urdur is ruled by a King. Under the King, you have the Council of Thanes which is chaired by ten Thanes chosen amongst the collective Thanes of Urdur by popular vote amongst the Thanes themselves. In the rare instance of a tie, the King casts the deciding vote. Supporting the King are his body of advisors which includes the Keeper of Tradition charge is keeping the historical records of Urdur up to date and preserved, The The Keepers of Faith which includes the highest priests of each of the four primary dwarven gods and is presided over by the High Priest of Aelfdan, and the Grand Marshall who is the highest military officer in Urdur's armies. The role of King in Urdur is not strictly hereditary. When a King dies a new one is chosen from amongst the Council of Thanes by vote of all the Thanes, Priests and Generals of Urdur. In all things the King has the final say in any instance and may decide to sit in on any Council meetings as the chair requested or not; though only the gravest of matters exceed the authority of the Council of Thanes. All offices in Urdur's government are defaulted for life though on rare occassions Thanes have been voted out of the Council due to being stripped of their title. While most Thanes truly are looking to uphold the honor and tradition of their people as befits their station, some wear the mantle as a well placed veneer in order to advance their own adgendas. Fortunately, such ambitious Thanes are normally ousted by their own ambitions as his people will normally raise repeated issues with a ruler to neighboring Thanes so that the problem can be rectified. 'Some Examples of Prominent Families' Hornblende Feldspar Azuli Ferromar Nosean Carnellan Agathon Wylhorn Relations Urdur is a wealthy and blessed land in many respects and trades freely with her allies and friends. Gibling and Burglig have been allies of Urdur's nearly since the first dwarves, gnomes and halflings walked the world. They have remained staunch allies throughout the ages and the trade between the three countries is heavy. In particular Urdur now relies heavily on Burglig's bountiful fields and agriculture having ceded much of their open lands to Gibling and lost some to the Vartian Invasion. Urdur also does a fairly heavy amount of trade with Tepliri to the east through Gibling and have counted Tepliri as allies off and on throughout the ages. The two countries respect each other and remain on generally good terms though since the fracture of Tepliri and Portiri the two countries haven't experienced the same height of trust they did during the Age of Strife. Urdur still has strong ties to the once attached dwarves of Yargald. They barter metals and goods with them in exchange for furs and leather. The two countries also have a combined geneology of pony breeds and interaction between traditional breeders in both countries continues to this day as they strive to keep the reputation alive. Ponies from Urdur and Yargald are more like smaller, heartier, horses and are much sought after by many races for their many desirable traits. Relations with Eblund in ages past was once strained and the high clergy of Urdur was formally very leery of allowing the priests of Belaius the chance to spread their doctrine and 'delude' dwarven traditions and values. Since the Age of Strife, however, Urdur has accepted Eblund's consistent diplomatic overtures with open arms and the two countries mingle faiths, trade and defense freely. In fact, the loss of followers the priests once feared has not occurred but instead strengthened the faiths of both countries as they find much in common concerning traditional values. Priests of Aelfdan and Belaius often compare notes and philosphies while the warriors of Tithon and Ulfban share many of the same ideals. Relations with Vartia have always been cool. Much as the dwarves remember their own heritage and past, they do not forget friends or enemies bygone either. While there are still many factions in Vartia which desire nothing more than to open a new bid for expansion, there is an increasing movement amongst the populous the put aside such thoughts and attempt to make amends and friends with their neighbors. Their success has been marginal at best as Vartia's reputation is stained heavily with dirty politics and corruption. As such, Urdur has very little good to say about Varita and those who live south of the mountains are wary and treat Vartia with barely polite coolness. Despite this, Urdur does allow trade to flow between the two countries albeit the tarriffs sometimes exacted on certain merchants on both sides is extreme. Despite that fact, trade continues to flow and visits for both parties still remains lucrative. Places of Interest Major Holdings Cities *Koldar *Morin *Relvandun *Turia *Eld *Karandelf Fortresses *Ulfdang *Boldon *Torve Major Arteries Roads and Tradeways *Avium Way *The Akrodan *Karan Way Rivers *Khardum River *River Ram Notable Ruins or Sites *Primection *Hornblende Hold Major Landforms *Durgadan Mountains *Windras Peaks *Windras Mountains *Ebernova *Oluan Plains